The Latin American nations could come together in the hopes to attract more tourists

During the opening of a business conference in La Havana, Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos announced the possibility of a Colombian-Cuban alliance in the hopes to create an attractive tour package aimed at China, Japan and Europe.

"I see a great possibility of collaboration with Cuba; a Chinese or a Japanese individual who lands in Cuba and from Cuba travels to Colombia, from Colombia to Peru and back; that is what we want to promote”, stated Santos. The Colombian president, who arrived in La Havana with a group of ministers and businessmen, stressed that this "tourism offer can generate immense benefits to both countries".

The two countries recorded increasing figures in the sector in 2016. Colombia received five million foreign visitors while Cuba hosted four million tourists. Santos affirmed that tourism "exploded" after the peace agreement with the FARC was signed and recalled that "Cuba's support was decisive in the success of the process" that concluded last year; Santos encouraged the two countries to improve their trade.

Cuban Foreign Minister Rodrigo Malmierca highlighted the geographical proximity between Cuba and Colombia and also called for "realizing business opportunities [and] identifying the best ways to execute new projects”.

Both Latin American countries have a tax agreement for the exchange of products, such as meat, footwear and clothing. Last year, the South American nation exported 33.5 million dollars to the island, according to data from the Colombian delegation.